CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

What the fuck was she supposed to say to that?

Harper wasn’t sure she even could speak. Shock had her rooted in place, gawking unattractively. Since meeting Knox, she’d come up with dozens of theories of just what breed he could be. None of those theories were all that inventive, but she still considered them much more realistic than the guy being an archdemon. Even her inner demon was in shock.

Considered too powerful to live on Earth after a rogue archdemon almost destroyed it, the decision had long ago been made to keep them in the very place they were born. Yet, here Knox was. An archdemon. A motherfucking archdemon.

No matter how many times the word circulated through her mind, she couldn’t wrap her head around it. She couldn’t reconcile the Knox she knew and cared for with creatures that, according to everything she’d been taught, were almost as cold and conscienceless as the inner demons they carried.

“You never suspected, did you? Nobody ever does. Poor, poor Harper’s not sure she likes the reality of what I am.”

Harper narrowed her eyes at the deliberate bite to his words. He was taunting her, meant to scare her. He was pushing to see if she’d run. Her demon didn’t like it any more than Harper did.

“Ignorance is quite often bliss, isn’t it?” He cocked his head. “Your heartbeat sounds something like a rabid racehorse.”

Well forgive her if she was just a little spooked to find out her mate was part of the fabric of hell.

“Look at you. Eyes wide. Body frozen in place. Like every good, well-behaved prey.”

Okay, now he was just pissing her off. “I’m nobody’s prey,” she snapped.

One brow slid up. “Oh?”

“And you’re being an asshole.” Going on the attack as a form of defense. She understand why, of course. He was expecting disbelief, terror, and finally rejection. And she realized now that he hadn’t withheld the knowledge from her because he thought little of her. It was because of just how dark and frightening the truth really was.

“Asshole?” His chuckle was humorless, almost bitter. “I’d say I’m much worse than that. Wouldn’t you?”

“Yeah. You’re also a dick.”

His face hardened. “What am I, Harper? Admit it.” It was a demand and a dare. “Admit it.”

“You’re an archdemon.” A breed that was malignant, callous, pitiless, and unforgiving. But…“I don’t care. Big motherfucking deal.”

Knox prowled toward her like a panther, eyes unblinking and locked on her. “I was born in the flames of hell…and you don’t care?” Pure skepticism.

She shook her head. As he reached out to touch her face, she knew he was testing her. So she held still. Of course, she almost jumped when small flames played over his fingertips. Again, he was testing her. “Pretty. Any more tricks?”

He circled her. “I can smell your fear. My demon doesn’t like the scent of it at all.”

“I didn’t say I wasn’t scared.” Only someone with the IQ of a crumb wouldn’t be afraid. “I said I don’t care.” Whatever he was, whatever he could do, he was still Knox. Even the entity inside her, rattled though it was, would accept it.

“You don’t care, despite your fear?”

“You’d never hurt me.”

He stopped in front of her. “How can you be so sure?” Another taunt.

“I trust you.”

A pause. “Maybe you shouldn’t.”

“Stop being an asshole!” And now her temper was kicking in. “I told you I don’t care. If you don’t believe me, fuck you! I’m going to watch some T.V!” Her regal march was hampered by the arm that curled around her and yanked her back against a solid chest.

“You never, ever react how I expect you to,” he said into her ear, a smile in his voice. “I like that.” He held his other arm up in front of her. There was the slightest hum of power in the air…and then his lower arm was in flames.

Whoa. Involuntarily, she stiffened as self-preservation kicked in and the urge to flee hit her hard. But she didn’t move away, didn’t recoil. This was still Knox, her Knox. And the hand that was currently flaming had touched her a thousand times but never once hurt her.

She hadn’t thought it was possible for fire to be beautiful, but it was. In fact, the red, gold, black flames were almost mesmerizing. Yet another example to prove she wasn’t at all smart, Harper reached out to touch his arm. She balled up her hand instead.

“The flames can’t burn you, Harper. Because they’re me. And you’re right, I’d never harm you.”

Ignoring the scorching heat radiating from his arm, Harper skimmed her fingers over a golden flame. It didn’t hurt, didn’t even burn. It was like touching hot, liquid silk. She was about to ask if the heat burned his skin but then she remembered that, hey, he was the flames.

“You do trust me,” Knox marveled. He honestly didn’t know how the fuck she was taking it so well, or how she could let him hold her despite her fear. But then, he was still stuck working out how her fascinating little mind worked. He eased the fire, putting out the flames. “It really doesn’t make any difference to you, does it? Even though you fear what I am, you don’t care.”

She turned to face him, smoothing her hands up his chest. “You’re still you.”

Like that was all that mattered to her. With those words, she fucking owned his soul and she didn’t even realize it. He threaded his hands through her hair, gripping it tight. He wished he had pretty words to give her, but it wasn’t in him.

When she’d said she loved him, Knox’s first reaction had been disbelief. He was a realist, was well aware of each and every fault he possessed. He’d never considered himself a loveable person and, honestly, it had never bothered him. Why? For the same reason that panic had quickly set in at her words. He didn’t believe he had the emotional capacity to feel it.

There were times when he’d picked up the emotion from others as they stared at their mates or relatives, so he knew exactly what it was. And he knew he’d never experienced it himself. If he couldn’t feel it, what did he have to offer Harper in return?

The only thing he’d had to give her was a truth he’d withheld – a truth that had the potential to kill whatever she felt for him, considering he literally was everyone’s worst nightmare. But he’d taken the risk, because it was all he had to give her.

He’d expected her shock and fear, had expected her to struggle to accept the dark reality of what her mate was – who wouldn’t struggle with it? So none of those things had come as a surprise to him. But he really hadn’t known what to expect after that, because he could never predict Harper’s responses.

Some possibilities had entered his head: Maybe she’d try to flee. Maybe she’d ask for time alone to think. Or maybe she’d be too terrified to speak.

What he wouldn’t in a million years have suspected was that she’d give him attitude. When he’d pushed her, she’d called him on his bullshit. She’d refused to let him intimidate her, just as she always did. And when he wouldn’t believe that the truth genuinely didn’t make any difference to how she felt, she’d cursed at him. His inner demon had chuckled.

There was no one like her. She was totally unique. Delightfully complex. And now he had to have her.

He took her right there on the floor, where there was no give and he could bury himself as deep inside her delectable body as it was possible to be. It was fast and hard, and she came screaming his name while he pumped every bit of his come in her.

They migrated to the bed. As he lay on his back with her draped over him, he smoothed her hair between his fingers. “I’m almost disappointed that you didn’t try to flee. It would have been fun having you as my captive. Helpless. Vulnerable. All at my mercy.”

She propped her chin up on his chest. “Such a kinky bastard. Is it an archdemon thing?”

He smiled. “Not that I know of.” He sobered as he said, “You know you can’t tell anyone, Harper, don’t you? Not even Jolene, not even your friends.”

“I know. If your secret got out, our kind would probably unite to go up against you.”

“Most likely.” It wouldn’t do them any good – he could destroy them all with minimal effort. But he had no desire to wipe out the demon population.

“I’m curious. If archdemons are born from the flames, does that mean you don’t have genetic parents?”

“Yes. My kind live in hordes. The adults all share in the care of the children.”

“So when your horde moved to Earth, they took you with them?”

“Yes. The horde separated – some traveled, some joined lairs,” he explained, watching as her eyes swirled from apricot to a smoky gray. “I stayed with a mated couple who joined a lair.”

“You were effectively their child.”

“They warned me not to tell what we were. To hide what I could do. Back then, I was nowhere near as powerful as I am now. An archdemon’s power grows with age.” It never stopped growing; that was part of what made them so dangerous.

“Lucifer knows what you are, doesn’t he?”

“Yes.”

She frowned. “I thought he agreed to keep your kind in hell.”

“He did agree to it, and he does keep my kind in hell. But he didn’t agree to round up the archdemons that already lived on Earth and return them to hell.”

Now that she’d met Lucifer, she could imagine just how smug he was about the loophole he’d found. “I understand now why you hide how truly powerful you are and keep everyone guessing about what you can do. You don’t want anyone to suspect the truth.”

“I’m trusting you to keep it to yourself, Harper. I know women like to talk and share with their friends, and I know you’re close to yours. They’ll no doubt ask you what I am. I understand you’ll find it uncomfortable to have secrets between you and them, but you can’t tell them. They can’t know.”

“I admit, I don’t like keeping things from them – especially big things. But your safety is more important than that. You come first.” And even though she didn’t believe her friends would fear him so much that they’d betray him by revealing his secret, it would put them in danger to have information like that. Noticing Knox’s odd expression, she asked, “What?”

He didn’t have words for her. Nobody had ever put him first before. Nobody. He couldn’t explain the tumultuous emotions running through him. Among them were relief, incredulity, contentment, and adoration. So he told her how he was feeling the only way he knew how. He rolled her onto her back, slid down her body, and ate her until she came so hard she almost lost consciousness.

“Why can’t you just tell me where we’re going?”

“I explained it was a surprise. I didn’t realize that required any elaboration for you to understand.” Knox had to smile as Harper practically bounced in her seat on the jet, glowering at him. No one else would dare scowl at him that way, and no one else could possibly entertain him as they did so. His demon loved seeing her riled. “Enjoy the anticipation.”

“I’m too impatient by nature to experience positive feelings of anticipation.” The teasing glint in his eyes was pissing Harper off. He didn’t want her to feel excited. He wanted her to feel agitated by the wait. “Just tell me.”

He took a swig of his gin and tonic. “No.”

“Mean.”

“Of course.”

“It’s my birthday; you’re supposed to let me have my way.” She’d woken just as he thrust deep in her…then he’d wished her a happy birthday before riding her so hard that her scream got trapped in her throat.

He arched a brow. “Is that so? I’m distraught to say I can’t give you that.”

She huffed. “Really, you could have just pyroported us to wherever it is we’re going. You’ve taken me on this long-ass flight just to drag it all out and drive me insane.”

Of course he had. “We are going to pyroport to where we’re going.”

“Are we going to hell?”

“I don’t think I’ve heard those words uttered with excitement before.”

“I just like to do things I haven’t done before.”

“I know.”

The wicked curve to his mouth both aroused and worried Harper. “Put me out of my misery and either tell me what the big mystery is or take me wherever we’re going.”

“All right, I’ll take pity on you.” He stood upright and pulled her to him. Tanner, Levi – we’re leaving now. We shouldn’t be any longer than an hour. Both sentinels were in the other cabin.

As he curled his arms tight around Harper, he kissed her softly. She stilled as the heat of fire enveloped them, burning her without hurting her. Then the flames died, and they were suddenly standing alone on a large stretch of land. And…“That’s a volcano.” Definitely not what she’d expected to see.

“It is.” Taking her hand, he walked her towards it.

“I’ve never seen one this close.” It was a scary yet beautiful sight. And seriously big.

“We’ll be getting closer. Much, much closer.”

She tensed, coming to an abrupt halt. “I don’t like the way you said that.”

“Ever bungee jumped before?”

Her heart slammed against her ribs. “Say what?”

“I’ll take that as a ‘no.’” Knox smiled. “Don’t worry; you’ll enjoy it.”

She gaped. “Wait, you want to bungee jump…into that?” Was he insane? Apparently so. It could be an archdemon-thing. She should probably look into that.

“We are going to jump into it. Not into the magma chamber. We’ll stop several feet above.”

He said it casually…like it was just a bus ride as opposed to a death-defying experience. “How? There’s no equipment or—” She cut off as wings suddenly snapped out of his back, fanning out behind him. “Oh. My. God.” The feathers were gold, red, and black…and on fire. Touching one of the wings, she realized they weren’t quite substantial; it was more like they were constructed of magma energy or something. Jealously crept in as she suddenly felt the absence of her own wings very acutely. The guy never ceased to amaze her. “Do all archdemons have wings?”

Nodding, he flapped his wings once. “Come on, let’s go.”

“Whoa there, Thorne…You’re going to fly us over there?”

“Yes. Then, while I’m holding tight to you, we’re going to drop.”

“Seriously?”

“You’re excited, admit it.”

Okay, yeah, an element of excitement was trickling through her. It was a terrifying idea, but it was also thrilling – she was a demon, her kind thrived on adrenalin rushes. But Harper also thrived on being alive. “Whole cities have been destroyed by eruptions of lava, gas, and ash from volcanoes. And you want to jump into one? Have you done it before?”

“A few times. Come on, you’ll enjoy it. This one only erupts at night,” he reassured her. “And it’s not like the lava or the heat coming from it can burn you.” Their skin was impervious to both. “Come here. Trust me.”

“I do.” So she stepped into his arms, both of which came around her. Then they shot into the air like a bullet. He was scaring her on purpose. “You’re an asshole!” He just chuckled. She kept her eyes closed as, still holding her tight, he flew in a horizontal position. It wasn’t long before he came to a halt, still in the air. Forcing open her eyes, she saw that they were soaring above an ash cloud.

“We’re going to drop down the throat of the volcano,” he told her.

He slowly lowered them to hover just under the cloud, and the breath left her lungs at the sight below her. Fuck. She fisted her hands tight in Knox’s shirt, locking her legs around him.

“Look.”

Oh, she was looking. She wasn’t liking. There was really nothing quite like hovering above an active volcano. As if the view of the descent into the crater wasn’t bad enough, there was the bubbling pool of red-hot, molten lava.

“You ready?”

Not really. Her heart was in her mouth, and she was pretty sure it belonged in her chest. Steeling herself, she took a long breath.

“I won’t let you fall, you know that.” He spoke into her ear. “The first time, we’ll jump feet first.”

“The first time?” Shit, what was she doing up here? Why was she putting her life in the hands of a clearly insane archdemon? Her heart was pumping rapidly, her teeth were rattling, and her hands were shaking.

“You don’t have to look down. You can just look straight ahead.”

“Get on with it. The more I think about it, the more aggravated I’m getting.” Her demon was totally up for this; it didn’t find fear an unpleasant sensation, so it wasn’t at all ruffled.

“After three.”

Why was he doing this to her?

“Three.”

Would her friends miss her at all?

“Two.”

No, she wouldn’t fret anymore. She’d meet her death with dignity.

“One.”

His wings snapped around her and they dropped. It was like time just stopped. There was absolute nothingness for one single moment. And then they were falling.

Falling.

Falling.

The wind whipped up her hair, and her stomach rolled like it did on a rollercoaster ride. Oh shit, that red-hot lava was coming at them fast. “Knox, stop!” But he didn’t. “Knox, stop!” They just kept falling and falling and—

Abruptly, his long, smooth drop halted just a few feet above the bubbling lava. “You fucking bastard!” But she was laughing. As they shot back above the ash cloud, she knew she had a wide, stupid-ass grin on her face. She had to admit the drop had been kind of exhilarating. Her hands were still shaking from the adrenalin.

His wings kept them floating. “I told you that you’d enjoy it.”

“Okay, it was a little fun.”

“If you liked that, you’ll love this.”

And then he was tipping them. “Oh no, not upside down,” she groused, gripping him even tighter. “Why do you hate me?” The view was even worse this time. Another shot of adrenalin pumped through her, making her demon almost high as a kite.

“On the count of three.” He tightened his arms around her. “Three. Two. One.”

And then they were falling again. Plummeting head-first into the crater. She would have screamed, but the sound just wouldn’t come out. And here was her good friend, lava, again. “Stop! Stop! Stop!” But of course, he didn’t. Because he was evil. She was totally seeing that now. “Knox!”

He stopped.

The lava was way too close for comfort, and she was staring right into it. “Sooner or later, you’ve gotta sleep. Then I’ll kill you.” His laugh did not improve her mood at all.

Rocketing them once again above the ash cloud, he said, “You enjoyed that.” She huffed, but he could see the excitement in her ocean blue eyes. “Again? There are lots of ways to do a drop like this. I won’t let go of you…unless you want me to.”

“No, don’t let go.”

“I won’t.”

“You said you wouldn’t let go.”

Knox did his best to stifle a smile. She’d been glaring at him since they returned to the jet. And now she was opposite him, shaking with fury. Yet, she still made him think of a hissing, spitting kitten. He thought it best not to say that aloud. “I caught you,” he reminded her.

“That’s not the point.”

“Falling’s not the same when someone else has hold of you. I wanted you to experience what it’s like to just fall.” He shrugged one shoulder. “And you did say you’d like to know how it felt to fly.”

“I hate you.”

He chuckled. “No, you don’t. Come here, I’ll apologize.”

She snorted. “No, you won’t. You’ll feel me up.”

“That too,” he admitted with a smile. “Come here.”

The dominant, authoritative rumble made her stomach clench; she knew that tone too well. “You know what? I don’t think I will.” She jolted as an ice-cold finger flicked her clit. “Don’t.”

“Then come here.” His mouth curved as her eyes narrowed defiantly. “If that’s the way you want it.”

Her mouth opened in a silent gasp as the psychic finger slid through her folds – so cold, yet it produced so much heat. It stroked her again. Over. And over. And over. Occasionally, it stopped to swirl around her clit, making her pussy spasm. Holding tight to the armrests as if they could anchor her, she locked her muscles in place, resisting the urge to squirm. But it was so hard when her flesh was burning and prickling, desperate for more. “Stop.”

“You know what to do if you want it to stop, baby.” She couldn’t have any idea how fucking hot it was to watch her eyes glaze over and her cheeks flush with need. Her breathing turned shallow and uneven as a climax slowly began to build. So hard it hurt, Knox undid his fly. His cock sprang out, heavy and pulsing. He fisted himself. “Do you want it, Harper?” He pumped once. “You look like you do.” Her slumberous gaze was fixed hungrily on his cock. “Come here, and you can have it.”

A moan slid out of Harper as the icy finger drove inside her. She couldn’t help arching into the slow thrusts, so wet and on fire. Her thighs trembled as the friction built, threatening to tumble her into an—

The finger dissolved, leaving her pussy throbbing. She felt red-hot inside, and so unbelievably empty it hurt. She barely held back a sob.

“Only I can give you what you need, Harper.” He’d put the ache there, and only he could take it away. “Come to me.”

Harper might have cursed the dominant fucker, but that would only make him torture her a little more. There was only so much defiance he would allow, and she’d learned just how far she could push.

As she rose and moved to stand between his thighs, Knox praised, “Good girl.” Snapping open her fly, he shoved down her jeans and panties. Once she’d kicked them and her shoes aside, he gripped her hips and lifted her, positioning her right where he wanted her. “The brand on your pussy is one of the hottest things I’ve ever seen. Be still.” He lashed her clit with his tongue.

Her fingers knotted in his hair. “Knox.” His tongue eased the burning as it slipped between her folds, licking and lapping, but it also began to build the friction once again. As he suckled her clit, her head fell back. “I’m gonna come.”

Knox moved her to straddle him. “Not until I’m in you.” He draped his arms over the back of his seat. “Fuck yourself on me, Harper.” She took him inside with one slow, downward, spiral thrust that almost made him come. “Give me your mouth.”

Gripping his shoulders, Harper kissed him just as she began impaling herself on his cock, loving how it stretched her oversensitive pussy just right. He forced his tongue inside her mouth, made her taste herself as he devoured and dominated.

He bit her lip hard. “You want me to come in you, Harper?” She moaned her assent. “Then work for it.” Their mouths stayed locked as she increased her pace, slamming herself down on him. They shared breaths, pants, and groans. He sensed exactly when her orgasm was close. “Wait.”

“Will you just let me come this one damn time?” she griped, digging her nails into his shoulders.

“Wait.” He grunted as she clenched her inner muscles around him in revenge. His demon was both amused and irritated by that.

Harper froze mid-thrust as Knox’s eyes bled to black. The demon didn’t look pissed, but it definitely looked a little piqued. Shit.

“Sneaky little sphinx,” it commented.

“I get a free pass on my birthday, though, right?”

It chuckled, and it was an odd sound; flat, yet not humorless. Then Knox was back. She was about to speak, but he arched a displeased brow.

“Who told you to stop?” he demanded, smacking her ass; her pussy clamped around him and soaked him in a rush of cream. “I said wait, not stop. Ride me.” She mumbled a curse, but he let it slide – mostly because she was frantically impaling herself on his cock. The feel of her so slick, burning hot, and almost painfully tight around him was too much. He knew he wouldn’t last much longer.

“Make me come, Harper. Do it,” he bit out. “Then you can come.” Her movements turned erratic and her hand slid to his nape as she kissed him hard. Her hold wasn’t tight, but his nape began to heat until it was burning and it felt like tiny needles were stabbing his flesh. The bite of pain instantly became pleasure. He opened his eyes to see that hers were black – her demon had branded him, he realized.

“Fuck.” Just as Harper resurfaced, Knox cinched her hips and repeatedly slammed her down on his cock. His climax barreled into him, making his fingers dig into her hips as he thrust deep and filled her with everything he had. As she came hard, she bit his neck to muffle her scream. Sated, she then sagged against him, arms flopping to her sides. “Your demon branded me.”

“Yep. Does it bother you?” she asked cautiously.

“Of course not.” The demon had every right to brand him. And it was a huge fucking turn-on. He liked that Harper and her demon were possessive of him. “I’m intrigued about what the brand looks like.”

Once they were both cleaned up and had their clothes back in order, Harper took a look at his nape. “I’m not so sure you’re gonna like it.”

“Describe it.”

“Well, it’s sort of tribal. Has solid black lines and pointed curves.” She’d done tattoos similar to the brand. “One of the curves has wings and the head of a sphinx – which looks uncannily like me. Hang on a sec.” She snapped a picture with her cell phone. “See.”

Knox turned to look at the photo. “I like it.”

“That’s a relief, because you’re kind of stuck with it…unless you’re planning to get rid of me at any point. Then I’ll just carve it into your flesh out of spite.”

He chuckled, sliding his arms around her. “I consider myself warned. So, what does the birthday girl want to do next?”

“I need to visit Jolene. I promised.”

“Then I’m coming with you.”

“Okay, but” – she grimaced – “just know in advance that my family is kind of crazy.”

“They’re imps, of course they’re crazy.”

“I’d like to use the excuse that it’s because they’re imps, but…well, you’ll see. Just brace yourself.”

Standing in Jolene’s kitchen a few hours later, Knox had to wonder if this was what a mental ward was like. Over the past few hours, every member of the lair had appeared at one point or another to wish Harper a happy birthday. Some had remained, some had left. With the exception of Jolene, Beck, Martina, and Harper’s co-workers, all had looked at him like they thought he was imagining sticking their severed heads on a flagpole.

They thought he was insane, yet they could accept the strange behavior going on around them. One imp was wearing nothing but a kilt, blue face paint, and a pink Hawaiian flower necklace. Another was dressed up as Harry Potter and occasionally blurted out meaningless spells for no apparent reason. There was also the imp who was carrying a hedgehog and losing patience with the creature because, ‘You’re not listening to me; you never listen to me.’ Then there was the group taking bets about whether the teenager currently eating a raw onion would vomit.

“Are you really Harper’s mate?”

Hearing that sweet, tinkle-like voice, Knox looked down to see the most angelic looking child he’d ever laid eyes on. Long white-blond ringlets, aquamarine eyes, and rosy cheeks. She couldn’t be much older than four years. “I am.”

“You’re really tall,” she said shakily, worrying her lower lip.

He squatted down to meet her level of height, so he didn’t seem so intimidating. “That better?” Her smile was all dimples as she nodded shyly. “I’m Knox.”

“I’m Heidi. Harper calls me Heidi-ho.”

“It’s good to meet you, Heidi.”

“I’m gonna be five in four months. You can come see me on my birthday, if you want.”

“Thanks, I—”

“Heidi-ho,” drawled Harper. “Give him back his wallet.”

Blinking, Knox frowned. “Wallet?” He watched in bemusement as the child’s innocent expression morphed into a put-out snarl that called Harper a traitor.

“Don’t be fooled by those angelic looks, Knox,” Harper told him as he stood upright. “That kid is a plotter. She’s as manipulative as Jolene, and she can cry on cue.”

Handing Knox his wallet, Heidi burst out into very convincing tears. Then she smiled brightly. “Good, aren’t I?” Heidi wrapped her body around Harper’s leg.

His inner demon was chuckling, impressed. He turned to Harper. “She does that ‘you’re really tall’ thing in that trembling voice to make people bend down, doesn’t she?”

“Yep. Then she robs them blind.”

Hearing a new voice behind them, Knox guessed another lair member had arrived. But when sharply Harper pivoted on the spot just as Heidi released her with an “Uh-oh,’ Knox had a pretty good idea who it was. He turned just in time to see a tall male imp with salt and pepper hair hold his arms out to Harper with a wide grin.

“I thought you couldn’t make it,” said Harper.

Lucian wrapped his arms around her. “Happy birthday, baby girl.” Pulling back, he told her, “I sold the emu. I couldn’t miss this, could I?”

There was no way Knox could fail to see the genuine affection Lucian had for Harper. It was in his eyes and the tone of his voice. While Knox wished for her sake that it would be enough to cool his anger at the imp, it simply wasn’t.

He gave father and daughter a few minutes to catch up before he sidled up to Harper. Lucian gave him an assessing look. “You must be Lucian,” said Knox, conscious that a silence had fallen. “I’m Knox Thorne.”

“I know who you are,” said Lucian. “Can’t say I ever expected to see you at my mother’s house. What’s she done this time?”

“I’m not here to see Jolene. I’m here with my anchor. She also happens to be my mate.”

Lucian’s brows flew up. “Really? Who—” He paused, taking in just how close Knox stood to Harper. His face reddened, his lips thinned, and his nostrils flared. “Anchor? Mate?”

“That’s right.”

Lucian actually stamped his foot as he looked at Harper, his emotional immaturity quite evident at that moment.“You mated with him? Do you have any idea how dangerous he is? Do you not value your own life?”

With a silent groan, Harper stated firmly, “Knox would never hurt me.”

“You can’t really believe that! You must have heard all the stories about him! He’s ruthless, brutal! He doesn’t have an ounce of mercy in his system!”

“Very true,” confirmed Knox. “In fact, most of the stories about me are true. I’m a danger to every demon out there…except for Harper.”

Lucian sniggered. “Forgive me if I don’t find the words of an evil, conscienceless bastard comforting.”

Harper raised a hand. “Lucian, I don’t want to argue with you – I really, really don’t – but Knox is my choice, and I won’t have you insult him.” But she knew her words would fall on deaf ears. Lucian was wearing his ‘I’m ready to rant’ expression.

“I don’t understand why he’s your choice! It’s not like you could be short of male attention! Why him?”

“Isn’t it obvious? I care about him.”

“But does he care about you? That’s the question!Don’t tell me he does! That demon cares for no one but himself!”

Knox’s chuckle was empty of humor…and the dark sound made everyone freeze. “Isn’t that a case of pot, kettle, and black? Oh, and you really do need to quit talking to her that way. I won’t have it.” His demon wanted to gut the bastard for it. “This is all a surprise for you, I get that. But then, if you were a real part of her life, you’d have already known.”

Lucian’s eyes narrowed. “If you’ve got something to say to me, just say it. No sly remarks.”

“Fine.” Knox stepped into the imp’s personal space. “You’re a selfish, irresponsible, juvenile, self-indulgent asshole. In fact, scrap ‘juvenile’ – you’re not quite that advanced.”

“You son of a—”

“Harper had already been abandoned by her mother. Did you make up for that? Did you make sure that she at least had one parent take care of her from the start? No. You left her with Jolene, and you continued with your self-centered, nomadic lifestyle. And let’s be honest, you wouldn’t even have visited Harper if Jolene hadn’t insisted on it.”

Clenching his fists, Lucian lifted his chin. “She was with me from the age of four—”

“Because Jolene forced you to take responsibility for your child, which was something you should have done from the beginning.”

“What, you think I should have taken a baby around the world with me?”

“No, you should have stayed with her. But that would have required you to put another being before yourself. And you just can’t do that, can you?” Knox shook his head. “It amazes me that Harper is the person she is today after having you and Carla for parents.”

Lucian snorted dismissively. “You think you know all about our lives? You know nothing.”

“Wrong, Lucian. I know everything.”

“Then you know I took care of her—”

“No, Lucian, she took care of you.”

The imp’s jaw hardened. “You’ve no right to judge me.”

“She’s my mate, I have every right.”

Seeming lost for words, Lucian turned to his mother…like a small, petulant child. “You don’t care that he’s speaking to me like that?”

Jolene shrugged. “You need to hear it, Lucian. I’ve tried to make you see yourself as you really are, but you never listen to me. Maybe you’ll listen to him.”

Eyes clouded with uncertainty, Lucian turned to his daughter. “We didn’t have a bad life, did we?”

“No, we didn’t,” replied Harper.

“But it wasn’t a life that gave her stability and security, was it, Lucian?” said Knox. “It wasn’t a life that began from the moment she was put in the care of this lair. You should have put her first, quit traveling, and given her what she needed. You didn’t. And for that, I’ll never, ever like you. I’ll accept you’re a part of Harper’s life, because I’d never ask her to choose, but that’s as good as it will ever get between you and me.” His inner demon, however, would never accept Lucian.

Harper slipped between the two males. “Look, you’ve both taken your shots at each other; let it go. Let it go,” she repeated when Lucian went to speak. Predictably, he stomped off in a huff. He was still wearing that sulky expression when she and Knox left half an hour later.

“You’re upset with me for insulting Lucian,” assumed Knox as Levi drove them home in the Bentley. Tanner rode shotgun.

“No,” she denied. “Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t a fun moment. But I know that if it was the other way around, I’d smack the shit out of whoever I believed let you down.”

The protectiveness in her tone made him smile. “I couldn’t help but notice that Khloë enjoyed the dispute.”

Harper shrugged. “She’s never liked Lucian.”

Knox’s phone beeped, halting what he would have said next.

“Is everything ready for the voting poll tomorrow?” she asked, watching his fingers adeptly flying over the screen of his cell.

“Almost,” he replied.

“Which way do you think the wind will blow?”

“It’s hard to say. Each of the three candidates made appealing proposals. One thing in our favor is that demons, as a rule, aren’t fond of great changes. The whisper campaigns also did a lot of damage.”

“The question is: Just how much damage did they do?”

There would be no knowing the answer until tomorrow.